This chapter is called Finally because, well, it finally happens. :) So warning, rated M blah blah for your safety!
I am so thankful you want to read my stuff, and I hope you enjoy reading it, because I sure as hell enjoyed writing it. :)
Lyra
"Sakura, at the same time, ready," I panted over to my co-doctor as we stood over the dying shinobi, the nurses bustling around us handing us bowls of water and fresh rags. I met her green eyes and she nodded in determination, our plan to treat this extremely fast growing poison together beginning in motion. I felt sweat drip down my neck, my concentration high as Sakura pushed the clean water into his lungs and I pulled it out with the poison inside.
The medical ninjas collectively gasped at our successful work, and I smiled grimly as we continued the extremely delicate work of extracting poison from this heavily injured shinobi.
He had multiple gashes on his chest, abdomen, legs, and arms, all varying in depth and severity.
What could have injured him this badly? I've never seen weapons like the ones used on him before. And we have never seen the poison used on him before either.
"More water please," I asked without looking up, my hand coming up to wipe my forehead. Sakura and I continued to extract the purple poison and place it in a large bowl, knowing Lady Tsunade would want to study it later.
I left Sakura to continue with the poison extraction as I focused on his other large gashes, replacing the other nurses' hands with my own and quickly healing the bleeding wounds. I frowned, finding it hard to completely concentrate my chakra, my body still buzzed with adrenaline from my roommate a couple hours ago.
Stop thinking about him. Heal.
I mentally smacked some sense into myself and focused all of my energy into closing up his large wounds and saving as much blood for him as I could.
I frowned, studying the gashes and figuring the weapon couldn't have been a kunai or sword; the gashes were too messy.
I guess an unskilled fighter could make these messy wounds with a straight edged blade, but whoever did this to him was obviously skilled.
Hmm. Almost like a 'hook'? Shaped like a very large arrowhead?
Sakura and I continued in our concentrated healing, she successfully continuing our poison work and I successfully closing up his deep gashes while saving as much blood for him as I could.
Lady Tsunade entered after another couple of hours with her completed antidote, and we administered it quickly to the groaning shinobi.
The three of us collapsed in chairs as the nurses finished off our work, our chakras depleted and our minds sore from the concentration for so long. I looked over at Tsunade and gave her a questioning look.
"Lady Tsunade, what mission did he come from?" I asked her, and she looked over at me with a hardened look that was tinted with worry. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, her posture showing her concern.
"He was sent on a simple mission to the Hidden Rain, to exchange documents about the Chunin exams. He returned here just now, limping and using the rest of his chakra to travel home." I watched her look at the sleeping man worriedly. "I never thought he would be in danger for this mission. I am hoping he will tell us more once he wakes up."
I nodded and took a drink of water one of the medical ninjas gave me.
"Sakura and I kept the poison in that large dish, so we can study it more in depth now. I haven't seen anything like it before," I mused, and the two kunoichi nodded at me.
"I will probably send you on an investigative mission soon, Lyra. We need to find out what happened." Tsunade told me. I cringed when I realized what tomorrow was.
"I understand. I was going to perform in the Hyuga's ceremony tomorrow, but this is a pressing matter," I said as I took another drink of water.
"It depends on when he wakes up. Go for now, and I will send someone for you when I have your mission details set. But we will work for the rest of tonight." The Hokage said, and I nodded. We had spent a good amount of hours trying to subdue the poison before finally making an antidote, and we were already well into the night. We sat alone in the emergency room with the sleeping shinobi, his face looking so peaceful after it was full of pain a minute ago.
Who would have done this?
"Well, in any matter, you two girls look beautiful tonight," our master told us in a lighter tone, and I met Sakura's small smile with my own. We had performed our emergency surgery in our kimonos, and it had taken all of my strength not to angrily rip the blasted sleeves off when they got in the way.
Ino would rip my arms off for that.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," we said as Sakura tugged her hair out of her bun and I tried to fix the sash thing that goes around my waist.
Tsunade clapped her hands and her face took on a determined look, and she stood up from her chair with her hands on her hips.
"Now. Sakura, I want you to retrieve every book we have on poisons and bring them to my office. Lyra, we will take the poison samples and begin testing on them."
Sakura and I did as she asked, and we spent the remaining hours of the night researching and testing the poison sample to see if we could find its origin from its components, or its potency. As I had expected, we found nothing that perfectly resembled the sample, its make-up very unique and almost specially engineered.
After an hour or so of working, with the sun peeking up over the horizon, Lady Tsunade found one of the potential ingredients for the poison only originating from the Land of Wind.
"This herb used to make this poison only grows in sand. But that could mean nothing," she rubbed her forehead as she leaned on her desk, and I blinked a few times to clear my vision.
I'm exhausted.
"Lady Tsunade, I am sorry but the Hyuga ceremony starts in half an hour, may I take a break and perform there for a few hours?" I asked her as I rubbed my eyes, and I watched Sakura's head snap up in an attempt to stay awake. Tsunade nodded and smiled her small smile.
"Yes, we should all take a break. I will check on our patient and then set up a mission, and Sakura, you can look into the sand ingredient after you relax for a while," she told us, and we both nodded and bowed, retreating from the room and leaving to walk out in the village. Our destinations were in the same direction, so we set off together, our minds feeling like mush from the all-nighter.
We passed a man who gave us a funny look walking from the market in this early morning hour, and I realized with a start what Sakura and I probably looked like.
"Sakura, we look like a couple of girls walking the walk of shame back home after a drunken night with some single guys," I laughed, and I watched her cheeks light up in a blush as she looked at me exasperatedly.
"Lyra! Don't say that!" She crossed her arms and fidgeted in her kimono, and I chuckled as I tried not to trip in my own.
I watched her face take on that familiar saddened tint, the one she always got when she thought about her old teammate. She had told me a while ago about her childhood crush on that Uchiha, Itachi's brother. I had never met him, but after Sakura had warmed quite a bit up around me, she had told me of all of the qualities he has that she loves about him, at least that he had. My friend has to deal with having feelings for a rogue ninja, and I had comforted her in the pain she felt, and the guilt she felt.
The heart is the only organ that likes to fuck with you. Thoroughly.
I placed a hand on her arm, and she looked up at me with a sad smile. She blinked some and made strength enter her expression.
"I can't see you going out and spending nights with single guys though, Lyra," she said nicely, and I felt a blush take over my cheeks and I looked away and scratched the back of my head.
Well uh that's kind of how I met my roommate… and your, um, sensei…
"Well, I haven't done that in a long while," I tried to dodge, but Sakura's sharp gaze caught mine with her amusement. One of her pink eyebrows rose in question, and I gave her an apologizing look as I ran off in the direction of the Hyuga compound, waving at her with one hand and hiking up the damned skirt of the kimono with the other so I wouldn't trip and kill myself.
I got to the Hyuga compound to see it buzzing with life, the smell of incense underlining the aroma of cooking food. The outside courtyard was decorated beautifully with flowers and statues, and the morning light was shining on all of the black and brown haired people as they milled around and talked excitedly.
I eased myself into the commotion, aware of my interesting appearance and looking for either Neji or Hinata to save me. I felt Neji's chakra approach mine from behind me, and I turned to meet his pale gaze as he waded through the sea of talking and laughing Hyugas.
He looked older and handsome in his formal attire, and he, unlike me, was clean and well slept and prepared for the ceremony. I scratched my neck and gave him an apologizing smile, my green kimono and my orange mane looking even more out of place here than I usually do. Without a word he led me to the guest rooms, and he smiled a small smile before leaving me with a towel and some clothes so I could shower quickly.
I cleaned myself of the make-up and tried to look less tired. I shook my limbs out; knowing my part in the ceremony was a fight. A structured and boring one, but a fight nonetheless.
I put on the feminine hakama Neji's relative had let me borrow, and I dried my dense hair as best as I could. I made my way out to take my place in the ceremony, feeling better after showering and trying to rid my mind of the events that occurred within the last 12 hours.
The ceremony started and went according as planned, most of the prayers and the rituals completely foreign to me as they were the traditions of this clan. I bowed my head when I needed to and I knelt when everyone else did, and I tried not to stare and drool at the maids bringing out some food onto an outside table for after the ceremony.
Focus.
My fight with Neji came along, and it felt good to have at it with my friend, the sparring helping to clear my mind and set my nerves to a calmer state as I whirled around and received and gave punches and kicks with him. I heard collective gasps and sighs from the crowd as Neji and I gave it our all, displaying his offensive and defensive gentle fist moves throughout our duel. We ended after our allotted time in a draw, both of us breathing heavily and us smiling from the remembrance of the familiar old fights we used to have. We received a large amount of applause and cheers from the surprisingly supportive family, and I felt happy when I watched the relief and the happiness enter the serious face of my friend from the approval of his family. We sat together on a bench and regained our breaths as the rest of the ceremony continued, and Hinata joined us as we enjoyed the rest of the ceremony.
I was relieved when it finally ended and we were allowed to eat the food, and I sat on the bench with my two friends with a big plate of eggrolls and rice and a cup of tea and I watched the day turn into afternoon as the sun made its way across the sky. A couple of the family members came to talk to me, and I chatted with them politely and tried to answer most of their questions.
It's impossible to dodge a question when they outright ask me, 'What clan are you from?'
I kept an eye out for any visitors that would be a signal from the Hokage, knowing I would have an upcoming mission soon. I was enjoying the day and the food with Neji and Hinata when the lord of the house finally decided to approach us.
I watched him approach us with his air of authority, and I met Neji's eyes for a second, us sharing a thought.
Shit.
"Lyra, Neji, great performance. I highly enjoyed it," he said, and I smiled at him politely.
"Thank you, Lord Hiashi." I bowed at him and gripped my tea cup.
"Thank you, uncle." Neji said quietly, also bowing and looking just as uncomfortable.
I started when I watched Hiashi pull out a package in silver paper, and then another package in silver paper, both of the wrapping papers looking more expensive than all of the things I owned combined. I felt Neji stiffen besides me, and Hinata look away. Both of these reactions sent a chill up my spine, and I felt the instinct to run away hit my limbs.
"In honor of my family's appreciation for you, I would usually present these gifts to your family, but I will give them directly to you." He held the gifts out to me with a smile, and I swallowed and cautiously received them, feeling more than a few pairs of eyes on me.
"Thank you, Lord Hiashi, but I can't accept these, all I did was perform in a fight," I tried to excuse, but his already pushy expression seemed to push even harder as I felt more and more people turn their attention towards us and an excited feel enter the air.
No…
"I must insist. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we haven't had such an entertaining and passionate fight before in our ceremony, and I feel honored having you and your skills in our family's festival," he said, and I swallowed again when a thought came into my mind that sent my caution to panic.
Silver paper wrapped gifts. Usually given to the family.
This can't be…
Part of a traditional proposal…
My mind sent out a distressed search, looking for anyone or anything that could help me.
There! That's Shizune's chakra, approaching from the north!
She should be here in a few minutes.
I blinked up at his firm eyes that held some kindness in them, his offers strong but his intentions ultimately good. Any other girl would feel extreme joy and excitement at this point, of receiving gifts from a powerful family's head.
I, however, was just feeling panic.
"Please open them, I would like to know what you think," he said to me in the silencing quiet, most of the attention mow placed on us. I found nothing else I could do, so I slowly unwrapped one of the gifts, feeling the smooth silver paper slip away from a brilliant blue obi, the sash thing that goes on a kimono.
I felt the soft fabric, realizing how rare the material was and how expensive it probably was, and I looked up at the smiling man, the uncle of my poor friend who was probably feeling just as uncomfortable as I was.
"It's beautiful, Lord Hiashi, thank you, but I… I can't accept this…" I said quietly, my cheeks blushing and my head bowing, unable to keep his gaze while my mind registered that Shizune was just outside of the Hyuga compound.
I felt his hands grasp mine and the obi and gesture it towards me gently, his smile kind and almost… fatherly?
"It is a gift from my family, in appreciation to your friendship with us. And it is a symbol that we wish to keep you close to our family in the future," he said indirectly, and I swallowed and fidgeted under the gazes of too many people.
"I, um, thank you, but I…" I stuttered out when a maid came running towards us, her head bowed as she tried not to interrupt.
"Lord Hiashi," she bowed deeply in apology, "Lyra-san, Lady Tsunade has a mission for you and you are to report to her," she relayed the message to me, and I felt my heart release some tension from the opportunity to run away from here.
"Oh, thank you," I replied, and glanced up at Hiashi's widened gaze. I took his temporary silence to say something.
"I am sorry, but I spent last night in the hospital tending to an injured and poisoned shinobi, and this mission will be important to uncover some mysteries. Thank you so much for letting me perform in your ceremony, I am honored to have been a part of it." I bowed at him and met Neji's widened eyes. Hiashi responded.
"Of course, your high leveled skills are needed by the village. Good luck, and it was a pleasure having you in our festival. Please keep these gifts, and I would be honored if you would join us for dinner when you return from your mission." He bowed slightly to me, showing me a huge respect and making my eyebrows shoot up, and I said my thank you's as I made my way quickly out of the Hyuga compound, my body buzzing to get away.
I walked with Shizune for a while and then I let out a huge sigh.
"You saved my ass, thanks," I told her, and she looked at me curiously before chuckling slightly.
"No problem? You actually do have a mission, you know that, right?" she asked, and I nodded and chuckled myself.
"Yes, your timing was just perfect," I replied, and we made our way through the village to meet our Hokage.
My mind is excited to receive a mission. But my heart just wants to go home.
A solo two week long mission?! What will I do with myself…
I rubbed the back of my neck as I trudged back towards the apartment, the last sleepless 24 hours beginning to catch up with me. I frowned as I walked past the vendors in the market, setting up shop for the evening next to the bars that were opening for the night. The strong and alluring scent of alcohol wafted over to me in the bar's attempt to ensnare me, and I pulled myself away from the smell of the tempting liquid teasing me with the promise of making me forget everything.
Forget that I haven't slept in a while, that I have a long mission ahead of me where I would have to sleep alone every night, that I was this close to being proposed to by a family, and that my heart was still aching over the man who shared my living space with me.
I'm complaining a lot, but I really don't have it bad. Nothing alcohol couldn't fix.
I frowned at my mind and mentally smacked myself, refusing to let myself give in to my embarrassing and problematic weakness.
I walked past the bars with their blasting music and their drone of drunken chatter and laughter, and I left the light of the market to enter into the darker neighborhood the apartment is in.
I wonder what he's doing right now. Is he cooking? Or eating, or reading? He could be sleeping.
Feelings from a night ago came seeping back into my being, the warmth turned to heat and the desire turned to need that he made me experience yesterday.
How can anyone have this much power? To make my body act on its own, on its own impulses.
I approached the apartment building and looked up at our kitchen window, slightly open like we usually leave it on these nice cool winter nights, our curtain lazily flapping in the wind and giving me a peek inside.
I sighed, wondering if we have any leftovers I could heat up and devour. I frowned when I couldn't think of any in the fridge, and I jumped up the story to grab onto the windowsill of the kitchen window, feeling too lazy to take the stairs and wrangle with that damned rusted lock.
I slipped a leg in when I felt heat wash over my body from inside our apartment, engulfing me in its tension and making me glance up. I watched the bedroom door open up, and I froze on the windowsill as he stepped casually into the kitchen with just a towel wrapped hastily around his waist, his arms up and his hands towel drying his hair with another towel.
Damn it.
I gulped, trying to look somewhere else but finding my eyes glued to his perfect form, his hands lowering the towel to reveal his messy silver hair and his bare pale face, his two eyes widened as he looked at me crawling through the kitchen window.
His relaxed stance seemed to freeze up to a small degree, his bare and open face showing his surprise, the large exposure of expression-filled skin giving me even more information on what he was thinking and feeling since I was used to reading him from just his eyes.
His skin was still slightly wet from his shower, the faint light coming from the window into the dark kitchen glistening on the water droplets and illuminating the curves of his muscles and the deep red of his open sharingan.
I mentally smacked myself again and forced my head to turn away from him as I bent down to open the fridge.
Damn it. Why is my heart beating so fast…
"H-How was your day?" I tried to ask him nonchalantly without looking at him, and I cursed myself for stuttering. For letting him know I wasn't calm and collected. Like he always was.
I straightened up and frowned after not finding anything in the fridge, and I turned to glance at his face over my shoulder when he responded.
"Fine, trained with Gai." I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he tightened the towel around his waist, his head bowing a bit like it usually does when he speaks without the sanctity of his mask. "Yours?" His voice was curiously soft and reserved, as was his body language as he seemed almost self-conscious around me, which made no sense because he was Kakashi, the smooth and carefree bachelor. I walked over to the counter to heat up some water for tea, successfully keeping my eyes away from his capturing ones. I leaned against the counter with both hands.
"I have a two week long mission I have to leave for in the morning." I said to him with my back turned, wondering if he could hear the complications in my voice. The fear I was beginning to feel at the thought of being on my own again, of sleeping in a foreign bed without the healing and calming company of my roommate.
It has been so long since I have had any problems. But it has also been a long time that I have slept near my comforting friend.
I tried to keep my voice level and monotone, to hide the fact that the simple thought of sleeping on my own for a while was scaring me more than any foe I have ever faced. I felt embarrassed at my fear, my weakness. I tried to keep my embarrassment and my frustration out of my voice, but when I felt him approach me slowly, I knew I had failed.
I bowed my head as I felt his gentle hand alight on my back, his fingers slowly kneading in comfort and support and filling my being with the familiar warmth he always carried with him. I didn't know my shoulders were tense until I felt them relax under his massaging hand, and I felt my heart flutter when his arms came around me from behind, his bare and strong chest giving me a wall to relax against. His arms tightened gently around me, and I felt the rest of the world fade away as I leaned my head back to rest on his chest, his comfort feeling unbelievably good and reassuring. My mouth formed a smile and my eyes closed as he nuzzled his face against my hair, and I completely relaxed against his sturdy frame, my own face turning to rest against him and my hands coming up from my sides to rest on his arms, encircled around me.
This feeling of complete comfort, complete reassurance and complete safety, brought a memory into my mind, for once a good memory. My mind whisked away from this world and plunged me into a memory of a couple years ago, a memory that signified the ending to my hell and a beginning to my recovery.
The first thing I sensed was the fresh air, the scent of the fresh pines and the crisp clean air of a far away memory awakening the rest of my senses in complete surprise.
The air was so clean, so unbelievably wonderful compared to what I was used to, the cramped musky odor of a slave cell, consisting of all of my sweat, waste, blood, and tears. I felt my nose open up with eagerness to breathe in this heaven, denied of this normal air for so long it had forgotten what it felt like not to feel disgust every minute of every day.
I cracked my eyelids open slowly, feeling their soreness and stiffness from being closed for so long. My eyes shot open too fast when I saw the most beautiful color of blue, tinted with little splotches of white in an unorganized manner.
Blue?
What a beautiful color!
I watched for a second as the clouds moved across the sky lazily, their movement comforting in their constant trek across the unending blue, not waiting for anything and minding their own business. My mind began to wake up and form thoughts, and the first thought filled me with sadness, but with a small sense of contentment.
I must be dead.
Is this what heaven looks like?
It scared me that I felt an almost relief at the thought of being dead. Shouldn't I be overwhelmed with grief? Shouldn't I be wallowing in a sea of sadness that my life on earth had been ended?
I blinked a few times, trying to remember exactly who I was and how I would have ended up here.
Oh.
My eyes closed and I felt my sore brow frown as I remembered. Remembered who I was. I am Lanyra, shinobi of the Leaf and Dragon Sage of the mountains. Wielder of the elements and fighter with taijutsu. Who had been captured, enslaved, for an immeasurable long time.
But how did I become un-enslaved?
My entire body flinched violently when the surface I was lying on moved an inch, shifting under me like a living being. I breathed in the fresh air deeply, my eyes searching the blue curiously, and I attempted to move my limbs or my head to look around, just to find my body completely stiff and unmoving.
"Lyra, you mustn't strain yourself, you are in no position to move too fast," I heard a voice to my left, and the familiar tone sent a shockwave through my system, freezing my limbs in shock but warming my heart in recognition.
"Yeah, you already look like death, Lyra," the smaller voice spoke to my right, right next to me, and the deep and musky tone felt like a slap to my being, shooting my eyes wider and causing me to gasp.
It couldn't be…
No…
I felt tears well up in my eyes while my heart ached with relief, with surprise, with happiness, with an overwhelming passion of love for the friends who owned these voices. Their words felt like the most beautiful symphony to my ears, their sentences filled with care and kindness that I hadn't felt for months. I felt the ground rumble below me, shifting like a moving giant and a loud and rumbling voice emerged from all directions, a voice that filled my heart with warmth.
"Kazekaiju, Fireball. Lyra will be hungry. Have either of you hunted?" The deep voice rumbled, the ground below me turning out to be the scaly back of one of my most dear friends, my dear training partner, Mizuryuu. I felt my pent up tears fall down my cheeks while my heart ached with happiness.
"I'll do it, Fireball would just find some puny rabbits, not even enough for a snack," I heard the wind dragon tease as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
"Lyra loves rabbit meat! I'm the only one nimble enough to catch them besides her; you all just stomp on them like giant uncoordinated hatchlings!" I heard the snarky remark come from Fireball, and I felt a chuckle emerge from my battered chest, my bruised throat.
"Play nice, you two," I rasped out, and I felt the three's attentions turn to me as I coughed violently from my injured chest. I felt piercing pain every time I coughed or laughed, but that didn't stop my chuckle at the most wonderful sound of my friends bickering.
I can't be… home?!
"Lyra, you scared the living hell out of us. Where have you been for the last year?!" I heard the rough voice of Fireball from my side, and as always, he softened his rough words by nuzzling my arm gently with his snout. I smiled as more tears poured down my cheeks, and I slowly turned my head to look at my friend, my muscles screaming and my bones stiff but my heart washing it all away with happiness.
"I… Well, it's a long story…" I got out, and I panted from the large effort it took to move my head and speak words.
I am so weak…
I felt the ground under me rumble again, and the voice of my training partner engulfed me in his deep and comforting tone.
"Lyra, please rest. Your body is in serious condition; please recover and gain your strength so you can heal." He sighed deeply from under me, causing my body to move up and down a foot. He continued in a softer rumble. "I missed you, terribly, training partner."
I twitched a hand open and placed it on the scale I was lying on, smiling in my tears and trying to stop my crying from getting any harder.
I felt a large snout rub against my other shoulder, and I turned my head to see Kazekaiju settling down next to me on Mizuryuu's back. I met his ebony eyes that held a sea of kindness and care, and his snout smiled at me as his bony white brow relaxed.
I am… home?
Safe?
With my friends, my family?
The thought was making its way to be comprehended in my jumbled and emotion clouded mind, and I felt even more tears of relief and happiness pour down my cheeks into my hair.
My gaze was brought upwards from the sight of a flash of yellow and green in the sky far above us, followed by a smaller flash of pink. The flashes focused into the shapes of flying dragons, and I felt my heart break from joy once again at the sight of my friends flying in freedom, high up in the pure heavens, their scales shining from the sun in the blue sky and their wings and tails flapping and thrashing jubilantly.
I struggled to lift my head, and I heard and felt Mizuryuu complain as Fireball and Kazekaiju helped prop me up gently, my body hurting but my overjoyed heart ignoring it. I watched as the different colors of dragons in the sky came to land near me, their eyes filled with excitement and happiness for me, their tails thrashing and their roars joyful, the feeling of my family crowding around me overwhelming my starved heart with feelings of love. I clutched at my throbbing heart, and I sobbed as my friends enveloped me in their comforting warmth, asking for no explanations and simply letting me know I was loved and cared for.
I blinked from the memory, the feelings of that time long ago adding to the already existing warmth I held in my heart from the wonderful friend holding me, and I sighed contently as I relaxed in the arms of my roommate, my closest friend.
I felt his chest rumble against my back in his deep and mellow voice, his words filled with care and patience.
"You will be fine. Because you will complete your mission, and then you will return home. And I will be waiting for you." He spoke to me with confidence, his arms holding on to me tightly. His words held such strong belief for me, I felt my heart soar and my mouth lift in a smile.
I turned around in his arms, twisting to face his chest and look up at his soft expression. His kind eyes watched me with his brow relaxed, his smile small but its genuinity making my own smile widen. Still in his embrace, I embraced him back, my arms slipping under his and pulling myself closer to this warm friend. I buried my face in the side of his neck, the feeling of the skin of his maskless jaw coupled with his strong hands on my back causing me to delve deeper into his hug, my heart and my stomach filling with warmth as he responded in kind by running a hand up to rest gently on the back of my neck while his other held me to him from my lower back.
I felt him sigh deeply against me, his hands beginning to move slightly as one massaged my lower back and the other caressed the back of my head gently, continuously keeping me close to him. I have never felt so in place, so rightly positioned in the world than when I am in my roommate's arms. Something about how he holds me firmly, like he doesn't want to let go, reminds me of exactly how I feel when I hold him back; like I would be content staying there for hours. How he caresses me gently, when his strong and powerful body could do so many rough things like other men choose to do with their strong bodies, but he chooses to hold me as if I were delicate, when I know he thinks differently when we battle our deadly fights. How he can light the fire in my belly with just his fingers or his voice, and when he holds me he feeds that fire with his patience and with his strength until it can blaze brightly within my limbs like a bonfire. All of these things he does for me, and all of them make me feel like I belong right here next to him, in his arms, as his partner, like two puzzle pieces finally aligning, creating a beautiful picture together and never wanting to be pulled apart again.
I felt my fingers run down his muscled back slowly, making him shiver and pull me closer, his head bowing to contact with mine, the perfect alignment of our bodies feeling so perfect but constantly being replaced with more perfect alignments as we continued to pull each other closer and shift our limbs and bodies together. Our bodies found ways to fit even more comfortably with the other, making my heart pump stronger in my chest with the warmth we create by our embraces.
I felt the heat begin to enter our sphere of warmth, the familiar passionate heat that fills my stomach with burning fire and my heart with desire. I felt his hands begin to search my body more curiously, his body heating up next to mine as I too gave in to my heart's demands. I felt my mind slowly being taken over by my passion-filled heart, my head rising so my eyes could connect with his and my mouth could search for his. I met his gaze, his intense gaze that held nothing back anymore, and my eyes widened when I read his hot desire in his dark eye and his sharingan.
And then, a screeching sound erupted from the stove, making me jump with surprise as it knocked me out of my daze, also causing Kakashi to blink a few times as he too recovered from the loud noise.
I withdrew from his warmth, from our heat, and I removed the streaming hot water from the stove and quickly poured myself some tea.
Interruptions. Always interruptions.
I glanced back over to look at my roommate, and I found his expression a mix of surprise, intensity, and a slight impatience as he gazed back at me. I swallowed and smiled a half smile in confusion, and I scratched the back of my head as I looked over to the bedroom.
"I, um, I should take a shower too," I said softly, leaving my tea to steep on the counter as I avoided the alluring gaze of my roommate. I felt my blush coat my cheeks as I walked over to the bedroom, feeling his intense sight on my back as I held the doorknob.
Why am I hesitating?
Why don't I give myself to him, like every sense in my body is telling me to? Begging me to?
I looked over my shoulder to meet his uneven gaze looking at me with his energy, his body relaxed except for his fists clenching at his sides. Everything about him filled my being with longing, and I swallowed and slipped into the bedroom and into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
Am I scared?
I closed my eyes as I leaned against the door.
I'm not scared of him, I know that for sure. I trust him with my life.
I undressed quickly, turning on the shower to hot and running my fingers through the tangles in my hair.
But do I trust him with my heart?
I closed my eyes as I lathered my shampoo into my scalp, relaxing my nerves with my familiar scent.
Does he trust me with his?
I washed my body, and a revelation hit me so hard I paused in my scrubbing so I just stood there dumbfounded, the water washing down rivers on my body.
I…
I care about him more than I have cared about any of my dear friends before…
Do I… Do I love him?
…I think I do.
As more than my friend, my roommate, my training partner…
I felt my heart ache in its quest to convince my mind of this, and I blinked when I realized.
I trust this man more than I have trusted anyone in my life, including myself.
I do trust him with my heart, because whether I want to acknowledge it or not, I have already given it to him.
I gave it to him a while ago.
I brought a hand to my face as I turned off the water, this honest and unguarded realization about myself making my desire for him grow stronger but my fear for my heart grow stronger as well.
As much as I want to protect my heart, guard and shield my heart so I can prevent it from feeling pain again, I am next to helpless now because I don't even have control over it anymore.
Kakashi does.
That man on the other side of the door, my roommate and friend, does.
However strongly I try to fight it and deny it, I gave him my heart and I am not even close to being able to take it back anytime soon.
I wrapped a towel around me and squeezed the water from my hair when I felt his chakra approach the bathroom door, sending my veins to be filled with heat once again. I tried to control the fire growing in my belly as this reminded me of the last time he came to talk to me as I was getting out of the shower.
He had hugged me, picked me up and brought me to our bed, and he had…
He had kissed me…
I flinched with my eyes wide as he slowly opened the bathroom door. I watched him take a single step in to the humid space, his bare face and his eyes downcast and hidden in shadow. His shoulders were tensed but sort of slumped in an almost personal defeat, his clothes still only consisting of a single towel around his waist.
I was about to say something when he raised his head and his two eyes met mine with a strong and unyielding ferocity, his energy and determination stopping my thoughts in their tracks and confirming my self realizations.
Yep. He has my heart.
He kept my gaze in his strong one, and he breathed in deeply to say something in his soft but intense tone.
"I'm sorry, Lyra. I can't wait any longer." He clenched his fists at his sides and his expression hardened slightly, his eyes taking in a more desperate energy. "I… I need…" his brow creased and he sighed, and I felt my fingers itch to touch him, to feel him, my skin craving his.
I watched his expression make up his mind, and he approached me, my skin feeling the distance between us and rejoicing at him lessening it, and I flinched as he grasped my shoulders, his movements sure. His eyes held mine in their trap, and my skin felt electrified as his hands ran up my damp skin to caress my neck.
I read in his eyes what he was trying to say. I read in the force of his expression, in the sureness of his hands as they touched me, in the way his body seemed to gravitate towards mine like mine did towards his. I read what he felt, what personal emotion he felt for us that gave him just as much caution as it did for me, and I read what his fierce gaze into mine told me of what he felt for me.
I returned all of the same feelings he had, the desire, the fear, the hope, the helplessness I felt as I looked at him and felt his chest with my fingers. I felt him shiver again under my touch, and without letting either of us dwell on our frightful feelings and uncontainable desires, he bent down to me and kissed me with passion, his lips capturing mine and silencing any thoughts I once had.
I kissed him back, my arms wrapping around his neck and his hands pulling me closer to him in our skins' needs to feel each other. I kissed him without holding back, my heart soaring in its ability to bask in my final relief with this man, my entire body lighting up as his tongue danced with mine and his hands held me to him firmly. I felt relief course through my veins like cool water in my burning and passion filled limbs, every inch of my body reacting to his and wanting more.
He paused our kissing as he picked me up quickly and took me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, and I kissed him, wherever I could reach as he set me down on the bed. I kissed his cheeks, his jaw, his neck, his lips as he held me against the bed, his body searching for mine as mine was for his. His hands began to shake slightly as they felt along my collarbone and down to the edge of my towel, and I kissed him fiercely to cancel out any notion he might still have to hold back for me.
My heart's ready.
To be given to him fully.
I felt my body respond to not having anything to hold back anymore. He and I, Kakashi and I were alone with each other in our dark and cramped but comfortable apartment, and as unlikely as it sounds to me and my inherent nature, I felt completely safe under his sure hands and his strong body. I kissed him more fiercely, I ran my hands down his chest and down to the edge of his towel more confidently, and I felt his body respond in kind as he pressed me against the soft sheets of the bed, his kissing gaining more intensity as he slowly let his body take over and give in to his desires fully.
I felt him gently cast aside the small towel that was left to cover my body, and every inch of me lit up as he continued to kiss me, his hands making their way to feel my curves and caress my skin. Skin and curves he probably knew better than his own, after seeing it fight against him every day. I had his lines and his muscles memorized, his every move against me calling up a perfect reaction move against him, our bodies fitting against each other as our mouths and hands explored the other in this new light, his fingers and tongue leaving an unending stream of electricity on my skin.
His lips kissed me with a certain impatient need, his warm hands pulling me towards him in his now urgent desire to have me soon, to have me now. I responded in kind, my fingers slipping in between his towel and his warm skin underneath to tease his body closer, to cause his lips and tongue to move to my neck, to make our heat turn even hotter in our bodies' and hearts' need to connect.
The rasping sound of the knocking on wood sounded through our heat, and we both flinched at the interruption. I blinked and watched Kakashi remove his mouth from my neck to look down at me as he lay on top of me, his messy hair hanging between our faces and his fierce gaze looking into my equally fierce expression.
"We're not home." He stated as his hand ran down my waist, causing my being to shudder in delight. I half-smiled at his statement, my own hand running up his spine and making him shiver, his onyx and his sharingan widening slightly.
"Damn right we're not." I reached up to meet his face, and I kissed him with my own longing, fuelling his fire and making him kiss me back with more passion. I wrapped a leg lightly around his waist, and he pressed his towel covered lower part against my bare lower part, aligning our bodies perfectly and sending the fire blazing through my limbs to another degree.
My entire body was on fire, every inch of me needed to feel him more, and I didn't know if I could wait much longer. Every centimeter of my body pointed to my lower regions, the heat and the need there almost unbearable with the single towel in its way of satisfying my body's needs. I broke off from our kiss to trail a line of kisses down his jaw to his neck, causing him to press against me even more as my hands slipped in between our bodies to leave a trail of shivers down his stomach in my quest for what was hidden beneath his towel.
I undid the corner of the towel that was tucked in and caressed his hardened member with my cool fingers, causing his entire muscled body to tense on top of mine. I lightly nibbled on his neck near the base of his jaw, and my actions seemed to hit a switch inside of him that released the hidden side of my roommate, the more unreserved and impulsive one.
His hands held my body more firmly, and he turned his head into my neck as well to kiss my burning skin with a dominating feeling, and one of his hands trailed down the curve of my hip to tease the skin near my throbbing opening, causing my body to arc up to meet his as his pressed against me at the same time.
My hands trailed shivers up his back, and I gasped out loud and my nails pressed into him as his fingers slipped into my wet opening, his kissing on my neck turning into something rougher as he nipped me with his teeth. I arced my lower half up to meet his, needing to feel more friction and more penetration as my hands ran up his back to tangle in his messy hair. I felt his warm mouth leave the skin of my neck and I opened my eyes to meet his enlivened ones watching me with such strong emotion, his Onyx and his Sharingan shining a well of passion and his expression full of hunger, hunger for me.
I stared back into the gaze of this man, my Kakashi, and I kissed him as he entered his member into my woman's warmth, causing an explosion of fireworks to set off inside every square inch of my body.
I gasped in pleasure, and I felt him intake a breath and begin to shake with a pent up power in his muscled and strength filled limbs, and I felt him in my arms as he pulled out to shove himself back into me in a slow motion, his restrain causing his body to literally shake as he kissed me back with the force to push me against the sheets. His effort to hold back his rough and forceful desires for me filled my already passionately exploding heart with joy and appreciation, and I clung to his form as I threw my hips up to meet his, causing his body to jolt in pleasure and his hands to grip my curves more intensely.
I curved my body up to meet his as he increased the speed of his thrusts, and his hands reacted by slipping under my heated body to capture me in his arms, his body beginning to give in to his rougher desires by slamming his lower half against mine as his face buried into my outstretched neck.
His every twitch, his every move sent fire coursing through my limbs, his thrusts lighting the explosives in my stomach and the relief of finally being connected with him to my heart.
I clung to his back as I felt the pleasure explode throughout my limbs, and I bit and kissed his neck as he thrusted into me over and over again, making me moan as he held onto my body tightly.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, allowing our bodies to connect even more perfectly, and I felt him moan softly into my neck as he delved even deeper into my depth, hitting an almost painfully sensitive spot that made my eyes shoot open and my hands grip him harder. I gasped as he hit that spot within me again, and then again, and I clung to him as I felt the pressure and the tension, the wonderful pent up passion forming in my lower parts build with his every thrust, his every kiss, his every bite, his every clutch as he connected our bodies together over and over again in the most perfect and natural unison.
His thrusts increased in speed, his hot breath on my neck and his hands holding me to him, and I moaned as I felt my pent up passion build even more as I lightly bit the heated skin of his tense neck, his tensed muscled arms holding me to him firmly and his tense muscled back shivering under my cool fingers.
I felt him thrust into me even faster, our breaths coming heavily and our bodies fighting to feel more of each other, needing more until the pent up passion was satisfied. I felt my end coming, my entire body lit on fire as my nerves were exploding in pleasure, and I felt his length throb in me, signaling his also impending end.
His thrusts never missing a beat and accelerating continuously, I felt his face withdraw from my neck, and I ran my hands up his sweaty back to tangle in his messy locks, my eyes opening to find his staring into mine.
His mouth was slightly open as he panted, his expression filled with so much intense emotion and pleasure as I read in his widened eyes as he too was filled with our pent up passion, and as one, I felt our connected parts explode together in a passion filled explosion of satisfying relief.
Our lips found each other like lost lovers as we rode through the adrenaline filled waves of our orgasms, our bodies rocking together as we kissed through the climax of our passion. His firm hands softened on my curves and my fingers massaged his scalp as he kissed me tenderly, the beating of our hearts threatening to jump out of our chests as we tried to regain our breaths.
Kakashi collapsed on top of me, his face falling into the crook of my neck and his heart beating frantically against mine, and I ran my hands down his back and back up to weave through his hair, my mouth forming into a contented smile.
He turned his head slightly into my neck and he kissed me tenderly, the gentle gesture after our perfectly rough love making causing my smile to widen and my eyes to close.
We lay like that together for a while, both of us content to lie right next to each other as we regained our breaths and our adrenaline crazed nerves settled down.
I continued to run my fingers gently through his messy hair, his slightly heavy muscled body relaxing on mine as his heart settled down in his chest.
I felt him shift his arms and pull himself up to rest on his elbows, his face still only half a foot above mine, and I smiled up at him as I reached a hand up to hold his cheek.
He looked into my eyes, searched in mine deeply as he smiled his small smile back at me, his eyes closing and his expression looking calm and content as he rested against my hand. His brow furrowed slightly, his mouth parting a bit as if to say something, and he struggled to form words as I reached my other hand to hold his other cheek.
His eyes met mine, my smiling eyes that thanked him sincerely. I don't think I could ever find a way to express in words how thankful I was that I had him as my friend, my roommate, my partner. His eyes watched me back and told me the same, his serious but contented expression telling me more than any amount of words could.
Kakashi slowly shifted his body off of mine to rest next to me on our sheets, and I realized how wonderfully exhausted I was laying here next to his warmth, my head moving to rest on his chest and his arm moving to rest around me, his fingers rubbing comfort and kindness as he held me in his arms.
I felt his heart also slow into a restful and calm state, his body relaxing against mine fully as we rested from our incredibly intense passion, my body feeling more perfectly exhausted than when we fight for hours.
And then a thought, a terrifying thought barged into my peaceful and happy mind and disrupted my feelings of contentment.
I have to leave for a mission tomorrow.
A two week long mission.
Alone.
I felt my fist clench where it lay on Kakashi's chest, and my nerves began to act up from their calmed state as my fears began to spill into my worrying mind.
I will have to leave him, leave his bed, leave his warmth, leave his safety.
I will have to be on my own, sleep on my own, in the dark, by myself with my scars as my only company…
I felt his arms tighten around me, and I looked up at his face to see concern radiate from his caring eyes, his hand coming to gently caress my cheek.
I blinked at him, and in an instant, I think he understood exactly what I was thinking.
His brow softened, his arms held me firmly, and his eyes looked at me with more compassion than I think I deserve.
In just his expression, in just his emotion and his care, I felt his kindness wash away my fears like pure water washing away poison. My eyes widened at his kindness, his pure goodness, and at his confidence as he told me with his eyes what he thinks of me, how he believes in me and my strength. His soft fingers on my cheek caressed me gently as his eyes convinced me firmly that I would be alright, and that he cares for me as much as I care for him.
I smiled in such appreciation, so thankful this wonderful man is my closest friend and partner. I settled against him and he did the same, my heart aching in the familiar wonderful pain of love, my mind believing in the confidence Kakashi held for me and trusting him easily. I already entrusted this man with my life every day, I entrusted him with my body multiple times and now I have discovered that I entrusted him with my heart.
I felt my eyes droop as I lie next to him, the constant up and down motion of his chest lulling me to sleep as I rested against him and his stable and comforting breathing. His arms shifted around me, tightening unconsciously as he too settled against me, our clothes-less bodies feeling perfectly content being right next to each other, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I felt sleep overcome me, pulling me into its soft grasp and inviting me to the world of dreams.
Of course, my dreams aren't as fictional as they used to be.
Most of my dreams involve the man I'm sleeping next to.
And those dreams happen when I am awake.
Thank you for reading, I'm trying to mix and balance the smut with the loving fluff somehow, I'm trying!
If you have any suggestions or comments I would love to hear them, I hope you have a nice day/night. :)